Steamed Modak

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups *
Salt - ½ tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
For Filling
Grated coconut - 4 cups
Powdered jaggery - 2 cups
Roasted poppy seeds - 2 Tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
* The quantity of water may vary slightly according to the quality of rice flour.

Method
1. Boil the water with salt, sugar and oil.
2. Add the rice flour and cook on a slow flame till it forms one lump like a soft dough.
3. Cool slightly and knead with greased hand till smooth. (The dough should be pliable but not sticky. If it is too stiff, dip your hand in hot water while kneading the dough. If it is too sticky,
sprinkle a little rice powder and cook a little longer.)

For Filling
1. Combine coconut and jaggery and stir over a low flame till the jaggery melts and the moisture from coconut is absorbed.
2. Add the other ingredients.

To make the modak
1. Take a lime size ball of the dough on your left palm.
2. Flatten into a small poori, with the edges thinner than the centre.
3. Place a little filling in the centre and gather the edges in pleats and bring them up to enclose the filling, making a conical shape.
4. Prepare all the modaks thus and steam for 15 minutes.